A typical ceiling fan includes a motor shaft connected to a lower portion of a down rod assembly suspended from the ceiling. A motor is coupled to rotate about the motor shaft, and a motor housing surrounds the motor and is secured either to the motor shaft or to the down rod assembly, which remain stationary. Blade mounting arms, also known as blade irons, are connected to the motor and extend outwardly with respect to the motor housing, and a fan blade is attached to each of the blade irons.
Conventional blade irons are releasably attached to the fan blades and to the fan housing. Specifically, known blade irons have proximal extremities or ends releasably attached to the motor, and opposed distal extremities or ends releasably attached to their respective fan blades. In addition to their primary function of releasably securing the fan blades to the motor of the ceiling fan, conventional blade irons are normally exposed relative to the other structures of the ceiling fan and are, therefore, normally decorative or ornamental in nature and enhance the overall appearance of the ceiling fan. Often, the decorative or ornamental characteristics of blade irons are chosen to match the décor of the environment where the ceiling fan is installed.
The use of conventional blade irons to attach fan blades to a fan motor contributes to the overall cost of a ceiling fan, particularly with blade irons that are ornate, intricately shaped, or large. Blade irons also add to the overall weight of a ceiling fan. Additionally, it is a common commercial practice for ceiling fans to be shipped to the end user unassembled, which necessitates assembly prior to, or during, installation. However, blade irons do provide a reliable way to secure fan blades to the fan motor. Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide a ceiling fan and blade iron assembly that not only eliminates the need to incorporate expensive decorative or aesthetically-pleasing attributes in the blade iron, but that also provides a way to reduce the overall size of the blade iron all while still providing a reliable coupling between the fan motor and the fan blade.